Best Sandwiches in the U.S.

Americans may never get over their obsession with amazing hamburgers, but they've certainly made room for an equally delicious meal between bread: the artisanal sandwich. "When you work with burgers, the flavors are a little limiting," says Tommy Habetz of Portland, Oregon's incredible Bunk Sandwiches. "Since sandwiches exist in almost every culture, it's possible to draw inspiration from a variety of different cooking styles when making them." Here, the most exciting sandwich upgrades in the country. —Jasmin Sun

Americans may never get over their obsession with amazing hamburgers, but they've certainly made room for an equally delicious meal between bread: the artisanal sandwich. "When you work with burgers, the flavors are a little limiting," says Tommy Habetz of Portland, Oregon's incredible Bunk Sandwiches. "Since sandwiches exist in almost every culture, it's possible to draw inspiration from a variety of different cooking styles when making them." Here, the most exciting sandwich upgrades in the country. —Jasmin Sun

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Arlington, VA; Washington, DC: Bayou Bakery

Sandwich: Muff-a-Lotta

Chef-partner and New Orleans native David Guas’s menu spells muffaletta phonetically according to the Yat pronunciation (an English dialect unique to NOLA). His recipe also stays true to his roots with a briny garlic-and-oregano-laced olive salad, salami, mortadella, smoked ham and aged provolone in a sesame-seed-studded toasted Italian roll. bayoubakeryva.com

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Portland, OR; Brooklyn, NY: Bunk Sandwiches

Sandwich: Pork Belly Reuben

At Bunk, co-chefs Tommy Habetz and Nick Wood reinvent iconic American foods. That means making a classic Reuben with pork belly in addition to Russian dressing, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. bunksandwiches.com

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Dallas: Smoke

Sandwich: Chopped Coffee-Cured Beef Brisket

Chef-owner and F&W People's Best New Chef 2012 Tim Byres slow-cooks the meat for this coffee-inflected brisket sandwich in the restaurant's backyard wood-burning smokehouse. smokerestaurant.com

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Miami: Bin No. 18

Sandwich: De-Constructed Cuban

Shredded pork and gooey triple-cream cheese fill a tomato-garlic-and-olive-oil-rubbed ciabatta roll in Bin No. 18's loose interpretation of the traditional Cuban sandwich. Although it's served with a fig-and-port-wine reduction, customers usually skip the accompaniment and reach for the hot sauce Sriracha. bin18miami.com

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Oakland, CA: Bakesale Betty

Sandwich: Fried Chicken Sandwich

These delicious sandwiches, filled with crispy buttermilk-soaked, cayenne pepper-spiced fried chicken, sell out fast. Bakesale Betty is only open for three hours a day—even less if there aren't enough sweet torpedo rolls to keep making sandwiches. bakesalebetty.com

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New York, NY; Brooklyn, NY: Mile End

Sandwich: Smoked Meat

To create smoked meat—NYC pastrami's fattier, spicier Canadian cousin—for the sandwiches at his Montreal-style Jewish deli in Boerum Hill, chef-owner Noah Bernamoff cures Pat LaFrieda-sourced, prime-Angus-certified beef brisket in a dry rub of salt, black pepper, spices and garlic before oak-smoking and steaming the meat for several hours. mileendbrooklyn.com

Boston: Neptune Oyster

Sandwich: Hot Lobster Roll

This North End restaurant's famous Hot Lobster Roll features succulent pieces of lobster tail, claw and knuckle meat drizzled with clarified butter on a grilled and buttered brioche hot dog bun. A mayo-based cold roll is also available for purists. neptuneoyster.com

Los Angeles: Bäco Mercat

Sandwich: El Pesco Crispy Shrimp with Sriracha

At this follow-up to his acclaimed downtown restaurant Lazy Ox, chef-owner Josef Centeno serves “bäcos,” his original hybrid taco-and-pizza-inspired flatbread sandwich. This version is filled with fried shrimp and creamy chive-laced cabbage slaw, then finished with a dab of Sriracha. bacomercat.com

Nashville: Sloco

Roughly 90 percent of the ingredients used at this standing-room-only sandwich shop are locally sourced within a few hundred miles. slocolocal.com

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Atlanta: Star Provisions

Sandwich: Shrimp Po’Boy

These stellar po’boys are packed with six crispy, flash-fried jumbo shrimp, topped with house-made Cajun mayonnaise and served on soft, toasted hoagie rolls instead of the usual crusty French-style bread. starprovisions.com

New Orleans; Nashville: Cochon Butcher

Sandwich: Muffuletta

For its refined version of this classic NOLA sandwich, Cochon Butcher coats a soft sesame bun with a briny-tangy giardiniera spread before topping it with housemade mortadella, capicola and genoa salami, provolone cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. cochonbutcher.com

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Chicago: XOCO

Sandwich: Ahogada Torta

Silverware is required for this dine-in-only option at celebrity chef Rick Bayless' fast-casual spot. The sandwich arrives submerged in a zippy tomato broth, which is delicious with a filling of pork carnitas, black beans, pickled onions and spicy arbol chile sauce. rickbayless.com

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Phoenix: Pane Bianco

Sandwich: Caprese

Fresh as the ingredients may be, the bright Arizona tomato, perky basil and freshly pulled mozzarella in this simple sandwich aren't as attention-getting as the bread. Legendary pizzaiolo Chris Bianco flattens doughlike crust and bakes it in a wood-fired oven until it gets crisp and dotted with char but still maintains a springy, chewy interior. pizzeriabianco.com

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